Drug Smugglers, Prostitutes, Record Temperatures and Hospitable Locals

My train journey through Eastern Europe has been a rollercoaster ride of gazing at mind-blowing architecture, linguistic diversity, learning about complicated histories and political realities that remain lava hot in potential volatility, accustomising to local traditions, and of course dealing with a host of eccentric episodes.

Observing drug smugglers bribing officials and stashing their goods in bizarre places on the train from Belgrade to Sofia, being offered sex by prostitutes in Budapest and Sofia, meeting people from all over the world travelling for a myriad of reasons including historical and geographical curiousity contrasted with bunches of English guys celebrating their mate's stag party.

I was happy to discover that the hostel I'm staying at in Sofia do laundry, but less pleased when I went looking for my clothes the next morning and half them were covbered in spaghetti - whether there was spaghetti in the machine or someone puked down on top of them from the balcony above I dare not guess.

Anyhow, next pit stop is Istanbul, where I hope to stay a day or two to soak up the atmosphere before making tracks for Syria. Over the past 5 days I've encountered record temperatures in Belgrade and Budapest, which both hit 42+ degrees centrigade - the last time they had such heat was 130 years ago. So I can advise you that the Irish boy scout proverb, Bi Ullamh (Be prepared) is quintessential if you're to avoid evaporation.

So time to get off my ass, roam the streets of Sofia, splash on factor 35 suncream, knock back copious amounts of water, and try getting knocked down by the crazy drivers. If you don't hear from me in the next few days it probably means I've been knocked down by a taxi or have ended up in hosptial from heat exhaustion!